Garment blocker



c. B. ALBERT GARMENT BLOCKER Oct. 18, 1949.

Filed Dec. 12, 1945 INVENTOR. CARL B LBERT.

Patented Oct. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,484,805 GARMENTBLOCKER Carl B. Albert, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application December 12, 1945, Serial No. 634,431

15 Claims.

This invention relates to adjustable frames such as garment blockers andmore particularly to improved adjustable locking devices therefor,although it and certain features thereof may be employed with equaladvantage for other purposes.

It contemplates more especially the provision of an improved adjustableframe guide and fastener means for rendering such adjustable andmaintaining the elements thereof in any adjusted relation within theirintended size range or limit.

Adjustable frames usually embody overlapping wires and this is true ofblockers or driers for garments which are normally of varied style andsize to conform with the dimensional and shape characteristics ofdifferent individuals. In order to effectively block various sizedgarments of knit construction, it is necessary to have the blockeradjustable to different shapes and sizes as well as positional support,thereby requiring the component elements thereof to be readilyadjustable and easily maintained in adjusted relation to meet theproblems incident to drying, display and fittings.

Most garments vary in contour as well as shoulder and hipcharacteristics in the same sizes to the end that it is almostimpossible to properly block every possible knit garment within the samegeneral size dimensions. In order to overcome this serious defect ofordinary garment blockers as well as to preclude the necessity ofstocking numerous types of garment blocking devices, it is proposed toprovide adjustment features to conform with specifically shaped andsized garments in order to support, dry, shape or block such in aperfect manner.

Numerous types of adjustable frames such as garment blockers haveheretofore been proposed, but the adjustable retaining means on thesehave not proven entirely satisfactory from a production and operationstandpoint owing to the inability to render such quickly adjustablewithout entailing any appreciable manipulation, difficulty andproduction expense. Most locking expedients are either structurallyintricate or expensive in production or will not satisfactorily operateunless produced and assembled within precision tolerances or for thatmatter involve moving parts which do not always function satisfactorilyfor use with garments of greatly varying size and, further, considerabledifiiculty is encountered in maintaining the component elements thereofin adjusted relation without the adjusting or locking means serving asan obstru tion to the garment.

It must be appreciated that in the use of garment blockers, suchnecessarily is subjected to the wet garments so that the componentelements thereof must be readily associable and removable relative tothe garment without obstruction. It is also desirable that the componentelements and the expedients for maintaining such in adjusted relationshould not become involved with the material of which the garment ismade nor should such contact therewith to any extent to avoid impairmentto the garment.

One object of the present invention is to provide improved adjustablelocking means for blockers to conform with various sized and styledgarments.

Another object is to provide improved, more simple and less expensiveadjusting expedients for garment blockers having shoulder, waist and/ orskirt portions readily adjustable to meet different styled and sizedgarment characteristics.

Still another object is to provide improved and less expensive frameguiding and locking expedients to afford effective blocker adjustmentsto accommodate varied garments for perfect blocking.

A further object is to provide novel guiding and locking means inconjunction with an adjustable garment blocker for maintaining such inadjusted size without the locking means serving as an obstruction to thegarment.

A still further object is to provide improved, dependable, and simplecombination overlapping frame wire guiding and locking means formaintaining a garment blocker in adjusted position to effectivelystretch and maintain various sizes in clothes during the drying thereof.

Still another object is to provide an improved adjustable frame guidingand locking means that do not embody moveable parts for maintaininggarment blockers in adjustment and to afford a ready release for theiradjustment and manipulation responsive to a relative displacing urge onthe frame elements.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following descriptionof an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

Figure l is a front view in elevation of a garment blocker havingimproved adjusting fasteners embodying features of the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a front view in elevation of a modified garment blockerhaving combined guide and fastener means embodying features of thepresent invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front view in elevation of a combined hangerhook and guide fastener embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the combinedguide andlocking means applied to overlapping extensible frame members.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a combined guide and fastenerembodying features of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional view in elevation taken substantially along lineVI-VI of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a sectional view takensubstantially along line VIIVII ofFigure 4.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modified combined guide and fastenerof the type shown in Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of astill further modified combined hook,guide and fastener of the type shown in Figure 3'.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a guide. for

overlapping wires.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary top plan view of an overlapping wire sectionshowing the transverse notches for cooperation 'with the resilientretainers.

The structure selected for illustration is not intended to serve as alimitation upon the scope or teachings of the invention, but is merelyillustrative thereof. There may be considerable variations andadaptations of all or part of the teachings depending upon the. dictatesof. commercial practice. The present embodiment comprises any suitableadjustable frame ill consisting of a pluralit of sections such as II andI2, in this instance two, preferably though not essentially bent orotherwise shaped froznwire to provide overlapping portions I3--i4,I5--I6, and Ii-lil. The frame sections I I.I2 define, in this instance,an adjustable sweater garment blocker, although the particularconfiguration thereof may be varied within a wide range depending uponthe dictates of commercial practice.

So that the frame sections II--I2 may be adjustable in size responsivevto. guiding and displacing the overlapping portions I3:I4, I 5-I6, andIll8 relative to each other and to confine them slidably to extensibleadjacent relation, each of the overlapping wire frame portions i3M,I5IG, and I'I I8 have, in this instance, combined guiding and retainingfasteners anchored to each for yielding contact. with the adjacentoverlapping portions to maintain them in any desired extensiblerelation. The term combined as used herein is intended to mean that thefasteners are one-piece integral elements serving the dual function ofguiding and retaining the frame members relatively to each other.

To this end, the combined guiding and retaining elements preferablycomprise a sheet of material I!) stamped or otherwise shaped from singleor plural pieces to present an elongated sleeve I9 of a substantiallyelliptical cross section of somewhat larger size and. cross section thanthe overlapping wires I3-I4, I5-I6, or llli8. The sleeve I9 haspreferably a longitudinal non-yielding half 20 thereof which conformsgenerally to one of the overlapping wire portions l3 or I4, I5 or IE,"or I8 for anchored attachment thereto along the seam lineZI defined bythe meeting edges of the-single sheet which is stamped or otherwiseshaped into the sleeve it. This attachment to the overlapping wires I3or i i, I5 or I6, H or I8; may be effected by butt-welding tosimultaneously effect the closure of the sleeve I9 and'its permanentattachment '4 to the overlapping wires I3 or I4, I5 or I6, I! or Theother longitudinal confronting half of the sleeve 59 is preferably asolid continuation along the transverse median section thereof tocomprise a median guide portion 22 thereof with the rigid half 20 toconstitute a guide for the other relatively sliding wire adjacent thewire to which the sleeve half 20 is permanently attached. 'The medianguide portion 22 of the sleeve I9 has complemental split extensions(defining yieldable frictional engaging prongs) 23;-2 l and Z526emerging from both ends of the rigid median guide portion 22 tofrictionally grasp the overlapping adjacent Wire that is displaceabletherethrough relative to the confronting wire of the frame sections III2that is anchored to the rigid'sleeve half 20.

Itv should be noted that the inwardly depressed frusto-conical resilientextensions or yieldable prongs 2324 and 25-26 are formed from the samematerial from which the sleeve I 9 is stamped or otherwise shaped toeffectively slidably guide overlapping adjacent wires when they aresubjected to intended relatively displacing manual efforts and to retainthem in any adjusted relative position. against displacement even thoughunder a displacing urge that is of less magnitude than the. forcerequired to effect their intended relative displacement. For thispurpose, the free peripheral edges of the resilient extensions oryieldable prongs 23-2d and 2526 are preferably displaced inwardly todefine a slidably peripheral ridge or nib 2? which would insure a betterwearing surface to afford cooperation with a closelyv spaced series oftransverse score lines or notches 2B knurled or otherwise ridged on theconfronting surface or surfaces of the wire l3 or I4, I5 or IE, l! oriii, depend-.

ing upon the end to which the sleeves IS are attached or anchored. Theprongs 23 2 i and 25-26 are pre-set and non-adjustable from thestandpoint that once articulated from the sleeve I9, no manualintervention or deformation is required in retaining the frame membersHI2 in their adjusted relation for any desired frame size. For thatmatter, there is a sleeve I9 preferably anchored to the opposite freeends 293ll, 3I32, and 3334, respectively, of the overlapping wires i3l4,l5-I6, and II--I8.

Should commercial practice so dictate, however, only a single end of thesleeve I9 need be attached to a sheet of overlappin wires I3-Hl, I5IB,and I'I-l8, in that the opposite ends of each could merely be suppliedwith a plain guide sleeve bracket 35' (Figure 10) which could beconsiderably shorter than the shortest possible combination guide andretainer I9. In order to conveniently support the frame It on a rod, asuitable hook 36 (Figure 1) can be provided to terminate at its lowerend with an eyelet 3'! detachably or permanently envelopingtheoverlapping wires Iii-4 4 of the frame I0. As an alternative, however,the hook 38 could terminate in a plain sleeve bracket 35 (Figure 10) foranchored connection thereto in lieu of the eyelet 31, thereby beingfreely displaceable between the adjusting sleeves I9 to assume asymmetrical position therebetween for the proper anchoring support ofthe garment frame I 0 and the garment disposed thereover.

As a further alternative, the top overlapping wire portion I3-I. l maybe provided with a special sleeve I9 (Figure 3) having both longi- {15tudinal halves 20' and 22' provided with resilient frusto-conicalextensions or yieldable prongs 23'-24' and 25'26 extending from bothends of the upper sleeve half 22' and corresponding resilient extensionsor yieldable prongs 2 3"26" formed on the lower sleeve half With thisarrangement, the sleeve [9' slides along both overlapping wires |3'-M'to freely grasp both for retention in any desired slidable extensiblerelation. The inturned peripheral nib 21 and 2?" formed on theconfronting resilient extensions or yieldable prongs 2324' and 23"--24at one end of the sleeve 20 and 25-26', and 25"-26 formed on the otherend thereof (Figures 3 and 9). The sleeve i9 is preferably provided witha hanging hook 36' which has its lower end welded or otherwise anchoredas at 31' to the top region of the sleeve 20' along a transverse medianline thereof. With this type of sleeve 20, anchored sleeves l9 may bedispensed with and plain guides may be dispensed with on the topoverlapping wire portions l3-l4 and plain end guide sleeve brackets -35'alternately attached to the ends of these overlapping Wires i3-I4.

In a still further modified embodiment of the guide and retainer (Figure8), an elliptical sleeve M3 similar in cross section to the sleeves I9,is provided with a rigid longitudinal half 4| that is considerablyshorter than the longitudinal rigid half 20 of the sleeve IS. The upperlongitudinal half presents a rigid end portion 42 that is shorter thanthe rigid mid-portion 22 of the sleeve l9, and presents splitfrusto-conical extensions d344 defining yieldable frictional prongs thatare shorter than the prongs 23-2 l on one end of the sleeve i9, therebypresenting the same functional effect with a more simple, lessexpensive, and much smaller combined guide and retainer. In thisembodiment, there is preferably provided a depressed peripheral ridge ornib 45 proximate to the outer free edges of the prongs 43M to providefor better frictional contact on a smooth or interrupted surface of thewire which may be notched as at 28 (Figure 11) The sleeve may besubstituted for the sleeves 19 in that it serves the equivalent purposeand function.

It should be noted that the garment form H! has substantially U-shapedsleeve forms 46-41 which terminate in hooked ends 48- 39, respectively,at their upper inward ends for permanent r detachable engagement withthe sections I il2 of the garment frame [0. The lower ends of thegarment sleeve iii-41 preferably though not essentially terminate inguide sleeves 40 for permanent attachment thereto after being disposedover the wire defining the form sections |ll2. In consequence thereof,the resilient friction engaging prongs it-64 will retain the garmentsleeve forms %tl'l at their desired inward spread or width to conformwith the size of the garment sleeves disposed thereover. For thatmatter, the adjustable guide sleeves 40 may be substituted for the plainguide sleeve brackets 35 with the latter permanently anchored to thegarment form sections I ll2 so that the offset lower ends of the garmentsleeve forms -41 can be detachably associated therewith withoutaffording any adjustable spread.

These types of combined guide and retainers are adaptable to other typesof forms such as the modified sweater form 19' (Figure 2). In thisembodiment, the shape is somewhat different to permit a one-piece frameconstruction wherein the single length of wire H is shaped to presentoverlapping top portions I3'-l4 with guide sleeves l9 such as shown inFigure 5, or guide sleeves 40 such as shown in Figure 8 attached toalternate overlapping extremities 29-30' of the single length of wire II. With this arrangement, a wire hook 3B is attached to a plain guidesleeve bracket 35 to enable the convenient support of the form [0' withits garment disposed thereover. As an alternate arrangement, thecombination guide and retainer sleeve H3 at the end of the wiresi3'-I4', may .be substituted by plain sleeve guide brackets 35' anchoredto the alternate ends and the hook 36' with a combined guide andretainer l9 (Figure 3) substituted to retain the overlapping wire l3'--Min any adjusted extensible relation. This type of form [0' need not beprovided with garment sleeve forms; however, such is optional in thatthey may be readily supplied and attached in any suitable manner.

With the foregoing construction and arrangements, it will be apparentthat a very simple combination guide and retainer has been providedwhich involves no moving parts and that does not require any manualadjustment other than to impart a relative sliding urge of the necessarymagnitude to the frame sections to accomplish the adjustment to thedesired size and shape. The retention of the frame in this adjustedposition is automatically effected by the resilient prongs constitutinga part of the guide sleeves l9, l9, l9" or 40.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of thisinvention, it must [be understood that the invention is capable ofconsiderable variation and modification without departing from thespirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to theprecise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself ofsuch variations and modifications as come within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

' 1. An adjustable garment frame including rell to retain said adjacentmembers against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forcesof lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

2. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers, and combined guide and retainer clips associated with saidslidable adjacent members, said clips on one of said last named membershavingpre-set non-adjustable friction prongs in frictional contact withthe other confronting adjacent member to automatically maintain saidrelatively slidable adjacent mem bers in slidable alignment when undermanually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain saidrelatively slidable adjacent members against relative sliding movementresponsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garmentsustained thereon.

3. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers, and combined guide and retainer clips associated with saidslidable adjacent members, said clips having pre-set non-adjustableconfronting resilient friction prongs and solid portions on one of saidlast named members to, engage the other of said relatively slidablemembers to maintain said adjacent members in slidable alignment whenunder manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain saidadjacent members against relativev sliding movement responsive toopposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustainedthereon.

4. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers, and combined guide and retainer clips associated with saidslidable adjacent members, said clips having pre-set non-adjustable.resilient friction prongs integral therewith on one of said last namedmembers to engage the other of said relatively slidable members toautomatically maintain said adjacent members in slidable alignment whenunder manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain saidadjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive toopposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustainedthereon.

5. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers, and combined guide and retainer clips associated with saidslidable adjacent members, said clips having rigid and resilientportions, said rigid portions of different clips being anchored toopposite adjacent members, said clips being attached to one of saidrelatively slidable adjacent members to engage the other of saidrelatively slidable members to automatically maintain said slidableadjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerteddisplaceable opposing forces and to retain said slidable adjacentmembers against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forcesof lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

6. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers, and combined guide and adjustable frame size retainer clipsassociated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips havingintegral rigid and resilient portions, said rigid portions of differentclips being anchored to opposite slidable adjacent members so that theirresilient portions engage the other confronting adjacent memberextending therethrough, said resilient portions comprising prongs withinthe contour defined by said rigid portions to maintain said slidableadjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerteddisplaceable opposing forces and to retain said slidable adjacentmembers against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forcesof lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

'7. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers, and combined guide and adjustable frame size retainer clipsassociated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips havingintegral rigid and resilient portions, said rigid portions of difierentclips being anchored to opposite slidable adjacent members, saidresilient: portions comprising frusto-conical prongs having a peripheraldepressed ridge conforming to the contour of the confronting slidableadj acent member within the contour defined by said rigid portions tomaintain said slidable adjacent members in slidable alignment when undermanually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain saidslidable adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsiveto opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustainedthereon.

9. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers, and combined guide and retainer clips associated with saidslidable adjacent members, said clips having pro-set non-adjustableintegral friction engaging prongs on one of saidlast named members toguide and engage the other of said relatively sliding members, therebeing uniformly spaced transverse notches in said adjacent members tocooperate with said. prongs to maintain said adjacent membersin slidablealignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces andto retain said adjacent. members against relative sliding movementresponsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garmentsustained thereon.

10. An. adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers, and combined guide and adjustable frame size retainer clipsassociated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips havingfriction prongs in frictional contact with a confronting slidableadjacent. member, there being uniformly spaced transverse notches insaid slidable adjacent members to cooperate with said prongs to maintainsaid slidable adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manuallyexerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said slidableadjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive toopposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustainedthereon.

11. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers, and combined guide and adjustable frame size retainer clipsassociated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips havingconfronting resilient friction prongs andsolid portions, there beinguniformly spaced transverse notches in said adjacent members tocooperate with said prongs to maintain said adjacent members in slidablealignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces andto retain said adjacent members against relative sliding movementresponsive to opposing, forces oflesser magnitude exerted by associatedwith said slidable adjacent members, the garment sustained thereon.

sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitudeexerted by the garment sustained thereon.

8. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers, and combined 12. An adjustable garment frame includingrelatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and adjustableframe size retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacentmembers, said clips having integral rigid and resilient portions, saidrigid portions of different clips being anchored to opposite slidableadjacent members, said resilient portions comprising prongs within thecontour defined by said rigid portions, there being uniformly spacedtransverse notches. in said slidable adjacent members to cooperate withsaid prongs to maintain said slidable adjacent members in slidablealignment when under manually exerted displaceable opguide andadjustable frame size retainer clips posing forces and to retain saidslidable adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsiveto opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustainedthereon.

13. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers, and combined guide and adjustable frame size retainer clipsassociated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips havingintegral rigid and resilient portions, said rigid portions of differentclips being anchored to opposite slidable adjacent members, saidresilient portions comprising frusto-conical prongs having a peripheraldepressed ridge conforming to the contour of the confronting slidableadjacent member, there being uniformly spaced transverse notches in saidslidable adjacent members to cooperate with said depressed ridgeswithinthe contour defined by said rigid portions to maintain said slidableadjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerteddisplaceable opposing forces and to retain said adjacent members againstrelative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lessermagnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

14. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacentmembers to vary the size of said frame, and combined guide and framesize retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, saidclips being fixed to one of said adjacent frame members and havingresilient prongs thereon to frictionally engage the other of saidslidable adjacent frame members to automatically maintain said adjacentmembers in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceableopposing forces and to retain said adjacent members against relativesliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitudeexerted by the garment sustained thereon.

15. An adjustable garment frame including 10 relatively slidableadjacent members to vary the size of said frame, and combined guide andframe size retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacentmembers, said clips being fixed to one of said adjacent frame membersand having resilient prongs thereon to frictionally engage the other ofsaid slidable adjacent frame members to maintain said adjacent membersin slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposingforces and to retain said adjacent members against relative slidingmovement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted 'bythe garment sustained thereon, and a hook anchored to said clip tosupport said frame and the garment thereon.

CARL B. ALBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 387,349 Folger Aug. 7, 1888534,053 Rutherford Feb. 12, 1895 558,085 Lintner et al. Apr. 14, 1896604,122 OThayne May 17, 1898 877,226 Timberlake Jan. 21, 1908 1,052,426Ringler Feb. 4, 1913 1,207,338 Stone Dec. 5, 1916 2,060,395 Irwin et alNov. 10, 1936 2,109,517 Xenis Mar. 1, 1938 2,120,748 Harris June 14,1938 2,137,691 Landsman Nov. 22, 1938 2,157,822 French May 9, 19392,161,451 Bolek et a1 June 6, 1939 2,213,975 Burwell Sept. 10, 19402,378,922 Grant June 26, 1945

